


Queen's Knight Defense

by jenna_thorn



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-13
Updated: 2010-09-13
Packaged: 2017-10-11 18:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/115692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna_thorn/pseuds/jenna_thorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>post OotP - pre HBP</p>
            </blockquote>





	Queen's Knight Defense

The Gryfindor common room fire crackled behind her, warm and cheering on this least cheerful of nights. That was probably why it was lit; this late in the year it was seldom needed.

She stood before the chess set, the pieces arrayed neatly in their rows. She allowed herself a moment of melodrama and tipped the white king over then rubbed her eyes.

"He's not, you know. The king, I mean. Um, wasn't."

"Are you now a legilimens, Mr. Weasley?"

"Hermione never shuts up, and Harry never talks, so I've learned to compensate for both."

"I like to think that you shouldn't have to."

"I'd like to think that we aren't at war. Doesn't make it so." The word, so flatly spoken from a child's mouth, made Minerva shudder. When had a Weasley become so ruthless? He continued, "Dumbledore isn't the king. You know better than that. This doesn't stop now."

She cursed herself for seven kinds of sentimental fool and fumbled to replace the king, but her fingers were clumsy with cold or perhaps heat, with age or weariness or possibly simply with sorrow, and she knocked the queen over to roll atop and over the fallen king. She froze in horror and with minute precise motions picked up both pieces. With exaggerated care she replaced them, ignoring their affronted glares, aimed both at herself and each other.

"It doesn't work that way, Professor. We aren't toys; you can't control us. He misjudged Sirius. Or maybe Harry. We can't be puppets. Nor even chessmen." He tapped Queen's Pawn on the head and the piece scurried forward, eager to begin play. "Besides, of all of us, I would think that you and I understand the idea of sacrifice best."

"You and I aren't the only chess players in the Order, Ronald Weasley."

"We are the best."

She couldn't help responding to his cocky grin, then sobered and toyed with the rook before saying,"I don't know that I can play this game, Ronald."

"Do we have a choice?"

"I don't know that I can lead the Order…"

"You aren't the one in charge."

"Harry is too young to …"

Ron picked up a bishop and held it in his palm. His hand dwarfed hers. She looked up at him, up past the ghastly jumper, past the shaggy hair. Who was this young man in the colors of her house? Who was this young warrior? Surely this was not one of her boys. "Ach gods, when did you all grow up?

That got a smile again, his lopsided smirk. So like Bill's before him, so unlike the vulpine grins of the twins.

"Go to bed, child. There will be much to do in the morning."

He handed the bishop over to with a nod, perhaps overly-familiar, perhaps not. She sighed at the toy in her hand and considered the use of diagonal lines and obscure plans and called herself, once more, a fool. She left the bishop in the middle of the board and exited with a nod to the yawning portrait.

**Author's Note:**

> assuming I got the nomenclature right, Defense refers to Black's move against White's Opening move. Ron (white) used a classic opening, freeing his bishop. Yes, Ron is knight, Hermione is a rook, Harry's a bishop, as per Philosopher's Stone. I suspect that Rowling is as indifferent a chess player as I am.


End file.
